Best Free VPNs for Russia in 2024 (Beat the Russian VPN Ban)

There are only a few VPNs in the world that can describe themselves as “Premium.” ExpressVPN is undoubtedly one of them. With over 3,000 servers in 94 countries, Russia inclusive, this VPN has one of the broadest coverage numbers of all VPNs services.

With this access, you get easy views for Netflix and other streaming services. ExpressVPN prides itself on its ability to break through any geo-location restrictions, and it does so with precision. Whether it’s Hulu, BBC iPlayer, SkyTV, etc., this VPN bypasses them all.

Security features on ExpressVPN are also great. It uses the AES 256-bit encryption, which is the industry standard thus far. The VPN protects you from the different types of data leaks — IPv6, DNS, and WebRTC. Thanks to Perfect Forward Secrecy, any encryption key that gets compromised won’t even be applicable to subsequent browsing sessions. It has a kill switch for off-network safety, and ExpressVPN doesn’t record any of your logs.

The VPN is available for macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Google Chrome, Firefox, Amazon Kindle Fire, etc. You get support for routers, too and browser extensions for Safari, Chrome, and Firefox. One account allows access for five devices, but the risk-free period lasts for just 30 days. After that, you’ve got to pay.

Next on our list is NordVPN — another risk-free service for Russia that can comfortably describe itself as being “premium.”

To ensure security, NordVPN provides access to military-grade encryption and a kill switch and protection from data leaks. You’ll love the split tunneling feature too, which helps you to determine apps that will only connect to the internet through the VPN’s network. For streaming and torrenting, this is pretty solid.

There is also the Onion over VPN network, which takes your connection over two portals before getting to your destination. It works pretty well, and it doesn’t diminish NordVPN’s already-stellar internet connection at all. As expected, the provider has an active no-logs policy.

NordVPN allows access to about 5,400 servers in over 60 countries. With this, you can rest assured of the high-traffic locations. The VPN breaks through the security restrictions of Netflix and other streaming services, allowing for optimal torrenting. With peer-to-peer file sharing on lock, you’re not missing out on anything at all.

NordVPN provides support for Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, Chrome, Android TV, etc. Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox are active, and you can connect up to six devices on the network. It offers a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee which gives you the pass to request for a refund and receive your money without any problems.

Trust.Zone is a VPN service provider you can trust to work in Russia. While it does not have a totally free version, it offers a free trial period. You can take advantage of this window especially if you are only traveling to the country for a brief period.

This provider has 202 servers in 102 zones all over the world. These servers are speedy and deliver content with blistering speed. It has all of the security features that make for an amazing VPN experience. Thus, it makes use of the AES 256-bit encryption model on all of its servers. In addition, additional security features include dedicated IP addresses, split tunneling, and features a kill switch.

The provider also maintains a strict no-logs policy. It does not retain any aspect of the user’s data. Furthermore, it is based in Seychelles. This is far away from the 14 eyes network and other such alliances. Thus, there would be no pressure from the government to give up the identity of users of the service.

The provider allows for a variety of payment methods. It has apps for the major device types, ranging from Android to Windows and iOS devices. It also has extensions for Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

However, for the free trial, the user gets access to 156 locations. In addition, you can use it only on one simultaneous connection at a time and would exceed the 1GB mark. This would be enough for light users or for those traveling to the country for just a brief period.

You can use Hide.me free for Russia. Although this VPN isn’t the best available, it can meet any reasonable expectations you have of a VPN. For example, Hide.me has over 2,000 servers in 75+ locations worldwide. It’s also noteworthy that these Hide.me servers are scattered all over Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

This means that you can easily connect to any Hide.me server and use it free for Russia. While using Hide.me free for Russia, you can only access five server locations. These include servers in the US, Canada, and Germany. Consequently, you can only access geo-restricted content from these countries.

The good thing, though, is that free Hide.me users will enjoy solid online security. So, while browsing free for Russia, you’ll enjoy Hide.me’s AES 256-bit encryption. Hide.me also has a reliable zero-logging policy. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about the Russian government getting their hands on your internet connection logs.

Finally, with Hide.me, you’d enjoy p2p-enabled servers while using it free for Russia. Sadly, though, you cannot browse or torrent content beyond 10GB monthly. Worse still, Hide.me only allows you to use this VPN freely on one device. If you want better features, you’ll have to upgrade to a paid plan. This shouldn’t be too challenging as Hide.me offers affordable subscriptions.

ProtonVPN is another excellent VPN you can use free for Russia. Notably, though, it’s a paid VPN with a free option. ProtonVPN has over 1,400 very fast servers in about 61 countries across the world. There are even ProtonVPN servers in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Sadly, though, you cannot enjoy this Russian server for free. This is because free ProtonVPN users only have access to 23 servers in three countries. These servers are in the US, the Netherlands, and Japan. So, you can only access content geo-restricted to these countries. Of course, with ProtonVPN’s strong capacity, this wouldn’t be an issue.

Furthermore, you can connect to these 23 servers to browse safely and securely. You’ll be safe because ProtonVPN will encrypt your internet connection with AES-256. Then, it’ll process key exchange with 4096-bit RSA. In addition, ProtonVPN has a trusted no-log policy. Thanks to this policy, no third parties can access your internet logs.

ProtonVPN has apps for several operating systems and devices. However, you can only use this VPN free for Russia on a single gadget. This lone device could be Windows, Mac, Apple, Android, or Linux. Single device protection is not wonderful, but the other advantages of this free VPN overshadow this issue.

Hotspot Shield is a solid VPN for Russia. The service has the top military-grade encryption standard, which will protect you while you browse. Tests have shown that there are no IPv6 leaks or DNS leaks, so this is a great way to start as far as security is concerned.

In terms of keeping logs, Hotspot Shield is a bit of a mixed bag. Being based in the United States, it is required to save some information. These include your IP address, email, username, and unique mobile ID.

The good news is that it doesn’t collect any information about your online activity. So, no one can track you based on what you do. Hotspot Shield doesn’t sell any of your data, it only collects it for regulatory purposes. You’ll love Hotspot Shield’s mobile service amongst everything else. It is available for Android and iOS. Desktop users on Windows and macOS are covered as well, and there are extensions for browsers too. A single account allows up to five devices to connect at the same time.

With Hotspot Shield, you access over 2,000 servers in 55 countries. That will be more than enough to allow you to find any location in the world to connect and surf the web. It offers both a free version and a paid option too.

UrbanVPN completes our list. For one, this is the only VPN service here that offers an entirely free service. There are no free trials or payments at all; it doesn’t even have a paid version.

UrbanVPN has excellent security features. There’s the AES 256-bit encryption available and a unique Hola-type security system that routes some of your traffic through other networks. Leak protection is also available, so you’re free from different types of hacks.

You will easily access restricted services like Hulu and Netflix with UrbanVPN. Its connection speed is also high, and there is no limit to bandwidth. So, you can download files as you please.

In terms of the demerits, UrbanVPN has limited compatibility. It is not available for iOS and macOS users, but it is compatible with Windows and Android devices. The installation process isn’t so easy, and the fact that UrbanVPN doesn’t provide support makes things a bit more challenging.

CyberGhost has one of the highest coverage rates of any VPN service in the world. The service provides access to over 6,400 servers worldwide, with coverage for 90+ countries, including Russia. If you’re in Russia and would like to access restrictive services, CyberGhost allows you to access high-traffic locations. Alternatively, if you’re outside Russia and would like to access services restricted to Russia, this VPN is an excellent choice. CyberGhost supports smooth streaming to access services like Hulu and Netflix without stress from Russia.

You will also love the fact that CyberGhost is available on all the top user-platforms. There is a version for iOS, Windows, Android, and macOS. Browser extensions are also available for Firefox and Google Chrome. Linux users will need to do some manual installation work, but there’s a version available too.

In terms of security, CyberGhost doesn’t short-change you. The service comes with AES 256-bit encryption, which protects your traffic while on the network. There is also a kill switch that takes care of you when you unexpectedly disconnect from it. Other essential security features include DNS leak protection, the ability to block ads and malware from internet sites, and an HTTPS redirection service that ensures only the most secure connections to websites.

CyberGhost doesn’t come with any bandwidth limits. It also adds optimal data compression that reduces bandwidth as much as possible, saving mobile users’ money. In place of a free version, it also offers a 1-day free trial and a 45-day money-back guarantee.